Cate Connor and other agents are now missing, possibly having fled LA or possibly being held in one of the camps. Internment camps are located throughout the city with government troops picking up anyone they can find. Ruby believes they now need to leave LA as quickly as possible. The Los Angeles headquarters has been badly bombed, but many have survived including Cole, Liam, Vida, Chubbs and of course Clancy Gray. Ruby, sent out on her own by the former Children's League agents, has ambushed a soldier,and using her abilities has searched through her mind, discovering gaps in the freeway's defenses. Following the bombing, the US Army and National Guard have created a secure 'perimeter around downtown Los Angeles using the elaborate freeway system.' so as to prevent the rogue agents and the Psi children from leaving the city. The Children's League had a headquarters in Los Angeles and this led to the city being bombed by the government. President Gray attacked the Children's League and the Federal Coalition of former politicians after the possible involvement of both organizations in the assassination attempt on him. The novel opens with the events right after the bombing of Los Angeles by the American Government. The truth about the source of IAAN is finally revealed as well as a potential cure.

The third and final installment in the Darkest Minds series sees the Psi children finally force the people of America and the rest of the world to acknowledge the truth of the camps what the government has really been doing to the IAAN children.

The darkest minds in the afterlight